Ice Is Getting Thinner
by FangedLovers
Summary: "We're not the same, dear, as we used to be." Stiles/OC 3X23-24 'Tried & True Series'


**Disclaimer: I do not own Teen Wolf; only Cassidy's world.**

**The Ice Is Getting Thinner - Death Cab for Cutie**

**So this one-shot has to do with the last 2 episodes/the finale and the first part is a little before that. So there will be spoilers.**

**So since there is no new episode tonight, this can hold you over. I hope you all enjoy it, and now that the season is over I will be writing original shots again. **

* * *

She felt something tracing her skin and moving the hair off her face. She couldn't bring herself to wake up for some reason, probably because she hadn't had a good night's sleep in quite a few days. Her eye lids were heavy as she attempted to pry them apart. She was met with her dark room before they closed again.

She heard the familiar sound of a chuckle which made her body freeze and her breathing stop. Her eyes opened completely this time and found a figure sitting next to her on the bed. She immediately sprang up and scurried across the bed till she was sitting farthest away from the person.

"Why are you running away, Cassidy?" The figure spoke to her.

Her eyes finally adjusted to the dark room. There sat Stiles, but not the same boy she was in a relationship with. No this was just a body that as being possessed by a Nogitsune.

"What do you want?" Cassidy whispered.

He chuckled again and shook his head. "You all keep asking that. Isn't it answered by now?" He leaned closer towards her with a sadistic smirk across his lips. "We want to hurt you all."

Before she could realize what was happening, the Nogitsune grabbed her waist and pulled her harshly back across the bed. She tried to fight him but he was so much stronger than her. Stiles had always stronger than her but this was a supernatural kind of strength she had only seen in the werewolves. He grabbed her flailing arms and pinned them over her head. She moved onto her legs and started kicking, kneeing, just trying to get him to let her go. He straddled her body and caught her legs under his shins. She became completely immobilized.

"You're a fighter, aren't you, Cassidy. Makes sense why Stiles wanted you so badly. You're a challenge for him." He looked down at her. "But not for me."

Her breathing was high from trying to break from the holds on her but it was almost impossible. She gave up for a minute to look up at the face that was looming over her. His usual honey brown eyes were so dark and lifeless. They weren't sparkling and playful but full of mischief and trouble. There were so many differences between this Nogitsune Stiles and the real Stiles.

"Please," she pleaded with him, "just let me go. I promise I won't do anything."

"Like what? Scream for help? Scott's busy with Kira and that useless friend of yours, Isaac is still out of commission." He leaned down so their lips were almost touching. "The only people that would hear you are your family and I don't think you would want to involve them in this. Would you?"

She closed her eyes tight and turned her head away from him. She would do whatever he wanted if he left her family alone.

"You're all alone. With Me." He chuckled again and dropped his head so face was in her hair. He took a deep breath of her and let his nose run down the side of her face towards her neck. She held herself so stiff, terrified of what he was going to do to her. "You smell absolutely delicious. I can taste your fear." His breath tickled her neck.

"Please stop." She whispered out.

"You know, Stiles is yelling the same thing right now." He held her wrists in one hand and with the other hand he started dancing his finger from her arm down towards her body. "He's screaming at me to let you go. To stop touching you." He slid his hand down towards her hip and then across the center of her stomach. "I'm not going to hurt you, Cassidy."

She opened her eyes, confused by what he actually wanted then.

"No, you see if I hurt you than the whole game is ruined." His hand found her neck and shifted her head so that she looked up at him again. "They don't know it yet, but you're the last piece. The highest importance." He caressed her face again. "I'll be seeing you, Cassidy." He let her go and then left her room.

She sat up, breathing hard again. He had just let her go without hurting her and that made her more worried about the events. They were all playing his game.

* * *

She knocked on the backdoor softly, her mind moving a mile a minute as she waited. She felt warmth surround her body when Scott opened the door and gave her a sincere smile. He nodded his into the house for her to enter. As soon as the door was closed behind her, Cassidy wrapped her arms tightly around her body and looked around the kitchen.

"How you doing?" Scott asked her quietly. "How's Isaac?" Knowing that he was her other priority.

She shrugged her shoulders. "Alright, I guess. He went with Allison to find Lydia." She finally made eye contact with him. "So…he's here?"

He nodded his head. "Yeah…yeah, he's in the living room. He's been asking for you."

She looked at him acknowledging that she heard him but made no move to go there. She never ever thought she would say or think it but she was scared of the boy in the other room at the moment. Scared about what state she would find him in when she laid her eyes on him. Scared because the last time she saw a version of him he was holding her hostage in her own room. Scott took notice of her uneasiness automatically.

"It's him, Cas. It's the real him." He rested his hand on her shoulder to comfort her, but she could barely feel it over her numbness of her body.

"I know. It's just…" She dragged off.

"You're scared?" She nodded. "I get it, but you know I wouldn't let you in there if I wasn't positive it was him. The real him. You go, and I'll know if something's wrong. Trust me." He rubbed her shoulder.

Cassidy took a deep breath and slowly walked towards the entrance way to the living room. She found the boy she loved hunched over on the couch, face in his hands, and body quaking slightly. Stiles heard her enter the room and snapped his head up in her direction. His whole body relaxed when he saw her; thankfully she was in one piece.

"Hi." She gave him a small smile and stood a step behind the chair across from him; a safe distance away if anything happens.

"Hey." Stiles' eyes were wide with hope, but he could feel the distance between them she was putting. "You're okay?"

She nodded her head and wrapped her arms tighter around waist. "Yeah…yeah I'm fine. How are you doing?"

"Not great. But I guess that's expected, right?" He attempted a chuckle but it sounded so fake.

She didn't know where to go on from there and just continued to stare at the floor. All she wanted to do was run to him and hold him in her arms, kiss him, tell him she loved him, and just run away from everything that is happening. Nothing was that easy though. What she didn't know was that Stiles was thinking the exact same thing.

"I remember it." He spoke up, knowing where her mind was. "I remember what I did to you that night in your room. I…I held you down. I touched you." He shook his head with pure disgust over his face. "I honestly don't even know how you can be in the same room as me right now." His head fell back into his shaking hands, hating himself for what he did to her even when it wasn't really him.

She took quick steps towards him and kneeled down in front of where he was stooped over. Cassidy took her shaky hands and hesitatingly lifted them to where his hands where cradling his head. She gently pried them apart and pulled them down so that they rested against his knees. He looked at her confused, not expecting her to get so close to him. She gripped his hands tightly in her own.

"I'm okay." Her voice gravely. "You didn't hurt me-" Stiles cut her off.

"Not physically." His dropped his head again.

"It wasn't you, Stiles. It was like it was a dream, not real, I can move past it. This," she held their hands up to show him, "this is you. This is real. Okay?"

He nodded quickly and raised her hands to his lips so he could kiss them. She smiled softly and looked over him again. Up this close she could see the dark circles that were still present under his eyes. He was paler than she had ever seen him before and there was a slight tremble continuously going through his body. She didn't know if he was getting any better, the only thing she could do was put his mind at ease for a few minutes.

His eyes followed her as she slowly lifted herself into a standing position and sat next to him on the couch.

"You need to get some rest." Her hand ghosted cross his hair and rubbed at the back on his neck.

"No, I can't with everything going on."

"There's nothing for us to do until we know where he took Lydia. You need to sleep." She tugged on his shirt as she lay back on the couch, pulling him with her. The two situated so that Stiles lay between the couch and half on top of her while she rested on her back, their legs tangled together. His arms wrapped around her body holding her as close as possible with his head tucked into her neck. Cassidy let one arm drape across his back and the other running softly through his hair. It didn't take him long to fall into a peaceful sleep.

"I'm just so glad you're okay." Cassidy whispered and kissed his forehead before closing her eyes also.

* * *

They had figured out where the Nogitsune took Lydia; back to the place it all started. At the moment Cassidy, Stiles, Scott, and Isaac were in the Jeep headed to Oak Creek. The four were eerily quiet, something that normally wouldn't happen when they were together. Cassidy had her elbow leaning against the back window so she could prop her head up, watching the dark world pass by on the other side. Something didn't sit well with her with the situation that was about to happen but she went along with it anyway.

She felt Isaac nudge her leg with his gaining her attention in the cramped backseat they were taking up. He gave her a soft smile and gave him an appreciated one back.

"Hey, you okay?" Stiles asked Scott, breaking the silence surrounding them.

"Yeah." Scott answered from the passenger seat. "Yeah, you don't have to worry about me." Cassidy didn't have to be a werewolf to tell Scott was lying.

"Alright, I'm gonna say it." Isaac decided to take the initiative of the situation, and looked across the Jeep to Stiles. "You look like you're dying."

"Isaac." Cassidy spat at her best friend. Scott also whipped his head around to the curly haired boy.

"I'm sorry, Cassie, but it's true." He shook his head at the girl and looked back at Stiles. "You're pale and you're thin. You look like you're getting worse. We're all sitting here thinking it. When we find the other you is he going to look like he's getting better?"

"What happens if he gets hurt?" Scott questioned.

"What do you mean? Like if he dies then I die?" Stiles shook his head. "I don't care. So long as no one else dies because of me." His eyes locked with Cassidy's through the rear view mirror then over to Scott. "I remember everything I did, Scott. I remember pushing that sword into you, I remember holding Cassidy down-"

"It wasn't you." Scott cut him off immediately. Cassidy felt the tears prick her eyes.

"Yeah, but I remember it. You guys got to promise me, you can't let anyone else get hurt because of me." Stiles looked at each set of eyes in the Jeep, the longest on his girlfriend.

Cassidy shook her head and swallowed deeply to try to push the tears away. She just got him back she refused to lose him again. Isaac grabbed her hand and linked their fingers together. She squeezed it and let her head rest on his shoulder.

The group drove for a little while further and then drove towards the gates that lead into the camp. Allison and Kira had already made it and were walking towards the gate when they stopped the Jeep. Scott and Stiles both hopped out of the Jeep and let the other two make their way out, Stiles helping Cassidy jump out of his side. Cassidy gave both girls a soft smile and Allison squeezing Cassidy's hand quickly, letting each other know to be safe.

The six all stood in the opening, circled around towards Scott, their leader. "We've done this before, guys." Scott nodded. "Couple weeks ago, we were standing around just like this and we saved Malia. Remember? That was a total stranger. This is Lydia."

"I'm here to save my best friend." Allison stood focused.

"I came to save mine." Scott smiled at Stiles.

"I just didn't feel like doing any homework." Isaac spoke up, trying to defuse the tension. Cassidy rolled her eyes and pushed him. Her hand ran down the sleeve of his coat till their hands met again, sliding into one another.

The group started their walk through the gate. Scott and Stiles were going towards the back while Allison and Kira kept going straight. Cassidy was about to follow Scott and Stiles when Isaac quickly stopped and pulled back on her hand, pulling her body straight into his. He let go of her hand and wrapped it around her waist. Cassidy did the same allowing her head to rest on his chest.

"Just in case." Isaac whispered and kissed her forehead. She knew what he meant. She had already thought she lost him a week ago; they weren't taking anything for granted this time. For all they knew either one of them could not be walking out of here.

The two separated and split to run to catch up with each of their groups. The three ran down towards a corridor. It was filled with old boxes, barrels, and military equipment not used for a very long time. Cassidy could smell the dust and dirt in the air. Scott proceeded to halt, making the other two stop also behind him.

"She's here." He turned back to them. "This way." He took off running again.

Cassidy turned to see Stiles breathing heavy already for the little bit of running. She grabbed his hand and the two followed behind Scott, feeling like she was dragging him along. They ran down towards an opening that you could barely even call a hallway. There were little outlets in the wall where there were windows or gated rooms. But still no Lydia in sight. Finally there at the end of the hallway was a set of steps towards another gated room.

"Lydia!" Scott yelled, seeing the red head in the room. "You're alright?" He pulled the gate hard so that it broke the lock and opened.

"No. No, no no no! Why are you here?" Lydia freaked out looking at the three.

"Lydia, we're here for you." Stiles answer her confusion in his voice.

"You weren't suppose to be here." She turned to look at Scott." You didn't get my message?"

"Lydia, what's happening?"

"Who else is here?" He girl had tears running down her cheeks. "Who came with you! Who else is here?"

"Allison, Isaac, and Kira." Cassidy answered, confused as the two boys about what was going on. She could tell Lydia was worried about someone which made her more on edge for the fact that three of her friends were out there right now.

"We have to go!" Lydia shook her head, attempting to clear her mind. "We have to get out of here right now!"

The three nodded and they all started their way back up the stairs and down the corridor. Scott ran down first with Cassidy not far behind him. The two didn't even notice when Stiles and Lydia stopped somewhere down the pathway. Cassidy couldn't tell if Scott was running at normal speed or if she had so much adrenaline pouring through her body to keep up to him. The two needed to get the others. They needed to make sure everything was okay.

They finally made it towards another gate that lead to the front. Scott came to an abrupt pause, making Cassidy grab onto his jacket to stop herself from flying into him. The scene in front of them made her heart drop to her feet. Oni surrounded the group, but even worse was watching one of them pull a sword out of Allison's stomach. The world around her became static, she felt frozen throughout her limbs. She looked past her and saw Isaac on the ground.

She felt Scott push open the gate and she carried her body behind him. Scott caught Allison while Cassidy ran past them, dropping to the ground behind Isaac. She pulled him back so he sat in between her legs, her eyes falling down to his chest where his shirt was slashed and blood was stained. Her shaky hands pushed against his stomach slightly to see that he was already healing, giving her a slight sense of relief, but she was now covered with his blood.

Isaac fell back into her body, not being able to hold himself up any longer as he looked at the scene in front of him. She was scared to look up herself, knowing what she was going to see. Allison was curled back onto Scotts lap, breathing heavily, blood flowing down her hand. She tried not to take in their moment, but it was so hard. It was so hard watching another one of their friends dying.

"I can't…" Scott held onto her hand. "I can't take your pain."

"That's because it doesn't hurt." Allison whispered out.

Cassidy knew what that meant. She held Isaac closer to her if possible.

"It's okay." Allison cried and kept repeating herself. She watched as Scott started to finally break, no longer being able to hold himself together. "It's okay. It's perfect. I'm in the arms of my first love. The first person I've ever loved. The person I'll always love. I love you…Scott… Scott McCall."

The tears started spilling down Cassidy's cheeks and she tucked her head into Isaac's shoulder. How was she suppose to help her own best friend if she couldn't even keep herself together. She felt him shakily breathing, as if he was trying his hardest to push away the tears.

The last thing she heard Allison say was "to tell my dad" before her breathing stopped. She looked up to see her arm slip to the ground with a thud. Her shooting arm.

Isaac curled his body so he didn't have to face the scene anymore, and tucked his head into her neck. Cassidy rocked the both of them back and forth. She looked up and saw Chris run into the opening and stop at the sight of his daughter. This made her start sobbing. She cried for Chris losing another member of his family. For Scott losing his first love. For Isaac losing the first girl to make him feel like he was worth it. For Lydia losing her best friend. For Stiles losing a companion. _For Allison._

* * *

Cassidy ran after Chris and Isaac, the two of them telling her to hide behind the planter by the stairs. She did as she was told, letting her head rest slightly above so she could watch the fight. She couldn't help the smile that spread on her lips when the silver arrow Chris shot killed one of the Oni. Allison was right, she figured it out.

All of the sudden a hand was clamped over her mouth and another arm wrapped around her body. The figure started dragging her across the courtyard, no one else seeing what was happening. She attempted to scream but it was blocked off by the hand. As she twisted her body to break free she noticed that the figure was Stiles, but not the one she would be happy to see. It was the Nogitsune.

"Together again." The Nogitsune smirked darkly down at her. He pulled the door of the school open and drug her inside. Once the doors were closed he released his hand from her mouth.

"They're gonna find you and they're going to kill you." She spat out the words. She could feel the bruises he was leaving on her arm.

"Oh, but that's why I have you." His grip around her tightened, her arms locked to her body. The only thing able to move was her feet as he dragged her along with him. "See, you all thought Lydia was my number one priority, to get you all together so I could knock you out one by one. But no, that was just a stepping stone to get to here." The hallway was dark and the only sound was his voice and the squeak of their shoes on the linoleum. "Everyone right now is fighting for their lives but they forgot about the most important part of the chess board. You."

Cassidy looked up at him confused. She wasn't important. She had no special powers. She was only human, could barely even work a gun. "What do you mean?"

He rolled his eyes and pushed her against the lockers by the corner of the hallway. "You're Stiles' Queen. You are the most significant player on the board. Once he finds out you're captured, he will take his own life just to make sure you are safe. True love at its finest." His mouth spit the words out like they poisoned his tongue.

The double doors towards their right opened and Scott, Kira, Stiles, and Lydia poured out of them. The Nogitsune quickly pulled his hand back over Cassidy's mouth so she wouldn't give away their hiding spot. She watched as the four of them looked around and at themselves confused about the situation that she was guessing they just went through.

"We're okay." Scott said, almost not believing it himself.

The Nogitsune quickly pulled Cassidy back towards him and drug her so that they stood behind the group. With just one hand, he threw Scott against the lockers with a single push. The group quickly turned around to find the two. Kira attempt to use her sword, but he was fast and slapped her towards the ground.

"This was my game." The Nogitsune smirked down at the fallen girl. He hadn't realized he let go Cassidy until he saw her attempt to run away. He was quicker than her though and grabbed the back of her hair, twisting and pulling it in his hand so her body was forced back into him. He quickly looked back up at Stiles and Lydia, more determined than ever. "You think you can beat me at my game?"

Cassidy cried out as he tugged at her hair harder and wrapped his arm back around her waist again.

"Let her go." Stiles pleaded, watching as his girlfriend clenched her eyes in pain, tears falling down her cheek. This was the first time he had no idea how to save her and it was terrifying him.

"No, I'm not going to do that." He pulled her head more so that her neck bending all the way backwards. "You see, you thought you figured it out with your divine move." He chuckled and started advancing on Stiles and Lydia who were holding each other up for support, dragging Cassidy along with him again. "Divine move?" The group was rushing down the hallway, one coming after the other. "You think you have any moves at all? You can kill the Oni, but me? Me? I'm a thousand years old! YOU CAN'T KILL ME!"

"But we can change you!" Lydia spoke up. The four of them coming to a halt finally.

Cassidy let out a small sigh of relief when the Nogitsune let up on her slightly as he tried to understand what Lydia was saying. "What?"

"You forgot about the scroll." Stiles said, eyes flashing back and forth from him to Cassidy.

"The Shugendo scroll." Lydia explained.

Cassidy looked back and forth from her friends to her captor, praying that it would work in their advantage.

"Change the host." The Nogitsune whispered out.

"You can't be a fox and a wolf." Stiles said, his eyes looking behind the two.

Scott came up behind the two and pierced his claws into the shoulder of the Nogitsune, letting Cassidy break free. She ran towards Stiles who immediately wrapped his arms around her, his hand bracing the back of her head softly as they watched Scott pierce his fangs into the hosts arm.

The Nogitsune screamed in pain as Scott let him go and Kira came up behind him, sliding her sword through his chest. The lights flickered and thunder clapped around them as he fell to his knees withering in pain. Its mouth opened and a fly fluttered out, flying down the hallway. The group watched it go as Isaac appeared at the end the wooden box in hand. He quickly caught the fly in the box and secured the lid on tight.

The five gave him hopeful surprising looks but were returned to the scene in front of them where the lookalike body of Stiles flailed and all of the sudden started cracking. It fell to the ground and disappeared into dust on impact, leaving no trace of ever haunting their lives in the first place.

* * *

"I think I missed your bed the most."

"That's your biggest revelation of this whole thing?"

"Didn't you realize that was the only reason I was in a relationship with you?"

Stiles laughed and cuddled closer to Cassidy on the bed. She smiled wide at hearing his laugh. It had been so long since she had heard it and seeing a real smile light up his face. It was refreshing and made her feel alive.

It had been a few days since everything had ended. And within those days plenty of grieving and weeping had taken place for their fallen friends. The pack had stuck together and leaned on one another when needed, realizing how much they relied on each other. Stiles and Cassidy had barely left each other's sights or arms for that matter. They were going through their own personal healing process.

At the moment, they were lying in Stiles' bed facing one another. Cassidy rested her head atop of his outstretched arm while his other was lying against her hip, and her arm was resting against his side. Her left leg was tangled between his while her right leg was thrown over his hip. From an outsiders point of view it would just look like a mess of jumbled limbs, but they were content.

"How are you feeling today?" Stiles asked her this question every day, knowing she was still mentally exhausted from everything that happened.

"It eases away day by day. It helps to be with you." She smiled and leaned to kiss him softly.

Once she pulled away, he let his forehead press against hers. His hand slowly inched its way under her shirt and traced across her lower back, his hand hot against her skin. They hadn't made much skin on skin contact, some of their actions had returned back to when they first started dating. So, Cassidy couldn't help the peaceful grin when she felt his hand. It was soothing.

"You're dad turned the cameras off, right?" Cassidy all of the sudden thought about the security system that had been put in place. "Cause if not, this is really weird."

The boy laughed and nodded. "Yeah, he turned them off. It's just us."

Stiles' eyes moved past her towards the wall behind her next to the bed. He sat up slightly, his eyes traveling back and forth. Cassidy noticed and turned her body to see what he was looking at. It was the pictures, newspaper clipping, and red yarn he had scattered up on the help with the cases. It wasn't just that wall though, it was surrounding his room.

"What's wrong?" Cassidy asked him.

"I want to take these down." He sat up on his knees and looked around the room. "All of this down."

Cassidy nodded and started to help him. The two began pulling the photos down, placing the tact's back in the case, and tangling the red yarn in a mess. Stiles moved on towards the farthest wall in his room while she sat on the bed helping slowly, knowing that he needed to do this himself mostly.

She was rolling some of the red yarn into a ball when the Sheriff stopped by the room.

"Hey." He leaned against the door, gaining the attention of his son. "Whatcha doin?

Stiles stuttered for a little bit, looking back at the wall he was tearing clippings down from. "Just, uh, clearing my head." He looked back at his father with a small nod.

The Sheriff nodded back with a soft smile understanding where his son was coming from. Before leaving the room, he turned and gave a small wink to Cassidy knowing she was helping him get through this. She smiled back at him before continuing to roll the excessive yarn together. She stood up from the bed and threw it in the trash near her boyfriend. She watched as he took the last handful of the pictures from that wall and threw them away.

He looked at the walls and let out a sigh of relief. Cassidy smiled and wrapped her arms around him from behind, kissing the space between his shoulder blades. "We should paint." She mumbled into his shirt.

She felt him chuckle slightly and turn his head to look at her. "Why do you say that?"

"A new start." She circled his body and stood in front of him, hands still holding onto his waist.

He looked around the room again before finding her eyes and nodding. "Yeah…yeah we should." His hands rested lightly against her face and leaned down to kiss her. "Thanks."

"Of course." She smiled and pecked him one last time before breaking away from him. "Let's go." She sat on the end of the bed and pulled her shoes on. Stiles simply stood from his spot watching her actions. The fact that he could have lost her still running through his mind.

"Hey, Cas."

"Yeah, babe?" She stood up and straightened out her shirt.

"I love you."

She had to bite down on her bottom lip to keep the massive smile from taking over her face. This Stiles, he was the one that still brought butterflies to her stomach. This was the one she wanted to spend the rest of her life with.

Cassidy reached her arm out so he would take her hand. "Back at ya." He smiled and laced their fingers together. She was his anchor.

* * *

**After hearing about Daniel Sharman leaving the show also, immediately started working on one that involves Cassidy and Isaac leaving, so look out for that soon!**

**Thanks For Reading and Please REVIEW!**


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